How to grow in career
No matter which company I join, though the team sounds so good but when I join that team all I do is bug fixing or release related tasks. I know all the FAANG companies has their product developed and they are maintaing it but I always feel like I am not growing as an Engineer. Then all I do is start doing leetcode again and start focussing on switching company. But doing leetcode all the time doesn't make me feel like I am growing. What would you guys suggest how should I make myself grow every single day outside office hours? What should I study. What skills you think are must have. I want to have general discussion if you guys are in the same boat. P.S I am currenly in Amazon
Welcome to FAANG, where all the important projects are done and the work doesn’t matter!
Join a startup ??
First you've to define what is "growing career" for you. For example, I manage several projects now. My definition of growing is to manage a business as a whole instead of one product or one program. To do that, I've to prove to my team that I can manage and deliver complicated programs before my managers will trust me with a business. To have a clear roadmap, you need to know where do you wanna go to.
That's actually a very good point. With 5 years of industry experience, I see myself as an architect in next 3-4 years. But with time I feel like whereever I go I get the same maintenance work to do. I have been in Samsung, paypal, microsoft and now amazon in 5 years of my career and still have 0 confidence of building a product from scratch. All the products I worked on till now have been using very old technologies and they never upgraded.
It's very easy in amazon to work on new products. They are constantly building new products or business. Search in job portals for new business like photos, videos, flex, aws, alexa and meet with the hiring manager and talk about projects they are currently working. Don't go to platform teams.
Very good and spot on question!!! I think that’s why 99% of FAANGus engineers work on side projects... very sad ! I feel like this is the job of my manager but everyone will tell you you should manage your self ... Am really looking for good answers!!
99.99% of statistics claiming 99% are made up on the spot. PIP
Join a startup - but be ready that at some point - you deal 80% with tech debt (was at a 10k people company to 3k to startup where I’m currently employee #4 and joining amazon next cause the startup became 100+ people) The experience was very valuable as I built everything from mobile to backend at scale - but it’s time to try some faang lifestyle. The fact that after 5 years you both haven’t built something from scratch and want to be an architect soon - shows your just at the wrong place friend.
Have you ever talked to anyone in your teams about branching out to new challenges? What were the responses?
I see people are very demotivated these days. When i talk to someone they are like bro everywhere its same. Its upto you how you sharpen your skills blah blah blah. 😂
You don't ask for skills. You ask for a different assignment, and working on a different type of assignment will help you aquire new skills. Another way is to be proactive and see what is needed from your point of view. You feature needs automation, or a new feature. Then go do it.